I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high pressure steam sterilized plastic container holding an infusion solution and to a method for manufacturing the same.
II. Description of the Prior Art
In an attempt to prevent infection by administration of an injection infusion at a hospital, a closed system which does not use an air needle has been recently proposed. In order to provide such a closed system, a flexible plastic container must be used as a container holding an infusion solution in place of a conventional glass bottle or ampoule. This is because fluid therapy in a closed system utilizes flexibility of the container.
Such a plastic container holding an infusion solution must be sterilized before fluid therapy as in the prior art. Sterilization is most commonly performed by high pressure steam sterilization which utilizes saturated steam at a high temperature. However, a plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride, which has a low permeability to gases will have a high permeability to gases during sterilization in a high pressure steam. Then, oxygen in the atmosphere permeates the container wall to deteriorate the infusion solution therein. Such deterioration of the infusion solution presents a big problem if the infusion solution contains components, such as a fat emulsion or a concentrated amino acid solution containing tryptophane, which are easily subject to deterioration upon contact with oxygen. Furthermore, a flexible container may be damaged under the normal high pressure steam sterilization conditions.